Insights & Resources

Discover eight lessons a brand workshop can teach your team about defining your strengths, understanding your buyers, and turning internal debate into a clear brand strategy.

Discover seven failed rebrands, what went wrong, and the lessons that can help your business protect its brand recognition and customer trust.

Explore what Airbnb’s rebrand got right, where its launch went wrong, and why a strong brand strategy outlasted the backlash.

Learn what a brand audit should cost, what each price range includes, and how to tell whether you’re paying for meaningful insights or just a polished report.

Patagonia doesn’t just sell outdoor gear. It built its brand around protecting the planet, turning environmental activism into a purpose customers can believe in and be part of.

Nike doesn’t just sell athletic gear. It sells self-belief, ambition, and the drive to push further, turning “Just Do It” into a mindset that has defined the brand for decades.

Apple didn’t build its brand by selling specs. It built an identity around creativity, simplicity, and thinking differently, turning its products into symbols of who customers aspire to be.

Tesla didn’t just sell electric cars. It positioned them as symbols of innovation, status, and identity, turning drivers into early adopters of the future.

Learn how Starbucks built one of the world's most recognizable brands through its "third place" positioning strategy. This article explores Starbucks' brand positioning, target audience, differentiation from Dunkin', and how the company's "Back to Starbucks" turnaround is proving the power of returning to a clear, customer-centered brand experience.

Discover how Coca-Cola's brand positioning strategy has helped it remain one of the world's most valuable brands for more than 130 years. This article explores Coca-Cola's marketing strategy, emotional branding approach, target audience, and the lessons businesses can learn from the New Coke failure to build stronger, more differentiated brands.

Subcultures drive what’s next in branding. Learn how brands can engage authentically without copying or diluting what makes them work.

Minimalism used to feel modern and premium. Today it often falls flat. Learn why — and what to do instead.

AI is changing how brands are built — but not why they matter. Learn what AI can and can’t replace, and how to adapt your brand strategy accordingly.

More messaging isn’t the answer. Learn why clarity (not noise) is what drives brand growth and customer connection.

Brand consistency isn’t about logos and colors. Learn why consistent behavior (not design) is what actually builds trust and recognition.

Going viral is awesome, but it rarely builds brands. Learn why virality is unpredictable and what actually drives long-term brand growth.

Why do so many rebrands fall flat? Learn the real reasons most rebrands fail at launch and how to avoid the mistakes before you invest.

Customer data is everywhere… but actual insight is rare. Learn the difference between customer insight and customer data, and why one drives better decisions.

Is your brand helping or hurting growth? Learn how to run a practical brand audit this quarter to uncover gaps, misalignment, and opportunity.

What is Brand Story and why does it matter? Learn how a clear Brand Story aligns messaging, marketing, and growth.

What is brand differentiation and how do you actually achieve it? Learn how to stand out in a saturated market without shouting louder.

What is brand strategy and how does it drive growth? Learn how to build a brand strategy that creates clarity, differentiation, and momentum.

Our guide to mastering the marketing funnel with consistent branding!

Learn how a brand refresh can help you restart business growth!

Review our guide to what makes a good elevator pitch today!

Interested in learning more about the type of insights you’ll receive at a brand workshop? Check out our favorite brand workshop tips today!

A lot of campaigns get labeled “creative” because they look polished or use a clever line. But that’s not what makes a campaign break through.

In 2026, “good enough” branding won’t cut it for anyone looking to break into the marketplace.

Here, we break down the lead generation tactics small businesses should prioritize in 2026. Find out how to use them to build a healthier, more qualified pipeline.

The question any business trying to grow online should be asking itself is simple: How can we stop the scroll? 

Most brands think “consumer research” means a survey, a study, or another neat-and-tidy report. Useful? Sure. But if that’s your whole playbook, you’re leaving real insight (and real money) on the table.

Learn how to gain the competitive edge you need to win.

Even the most effective products don’t succeed if there’s no brand story that feels like it was written for them.

Gap's new campaign with KATSEYE is making waves.

Today, we’re going to dive deep into the strategic frameworks and structural tools that powerhouse brands rely on to become unforgettable.

The drop was quiet. The impact wasn’t. Here’s what brands can learn from Justin Bieber’s well-timed no-launch launch.

To win on Substack, your brand has to stop selling and start saying something that matters.

As AI-driven search transforms how consumers discover products, Cetaphil is ahead of the curve, updating its product copy to align with how people ask questions in tools like ChatGPT. This blog explores what that shift means for brand marketers and why natural language is the new SEO.

There was a time when brands obsessed over polish.

The best ads start with a juicy insight, play with fire, and lean into their strengths. In a world of gray and lifeless cuts, be a bold flavor.

While brands were busy chasing TikTok virality and algorithm hacks, something low-key was brewing in the background.

In this episode, I sat down with Chris Silvestri, founder of Conversion Alchemy, to talk about why your words aren’t working—and what to do about it.

Can your brand grow before it looks the part? In this episode, I sit down with Will Nitze, founder of IQBAR, a functional food company that scaled into major retail before seriously investing in branding.

Most entrepreneurs think their pipeline problem is a volume issue. But more often than not, it’s a messaging problem. In this episode, I sat in on a live coaching session with Justice Anderson, who focuses on sales strategies for service companies.

Discover why CEOs get branding wrong, why storytelling is the real secret to brand success, and how focusing on human behavior can take your business to the next level.

Too many brands focus on features, trying to outdo their competition by improving their product. But when you compete on product alone, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Customers don’t remember features—they remember stories. And when your brand is just like everyone else’s, it becomes a commodity. That’s why brand differentiation is so important.

Branding used to be a closed system. But in 2025, that model’s losing steam. Today’s most magnetic brands aren’t the ones with the loudest messages, they’re the ones building flexible identities that adapt and respond to their audience in real time.

Meet Labubu – a fang-toothed elf that is hotter than any sneaker drop, with fans scrambling online and lining up in person for a chance to snag one.

There was a time when “Subscribe & Save” felt like a flex...

Why this sunscreen brand is winning summer with scent, nostalgia, and pure vibes.

Julia Kinner, founder of the specialized marketing and strategy consulting firm JK & Associates, has worked with countless businesses that claim to “know their customer” but fail to connect with them in a meaningful way. Drawing on her background in telecommunications and consumer research, Julia shows how grounding your approach in actual consumer behavior, rather than assumptions or AI-generated plans, can drive real business growth.

How do you market a sex education brand?

Branding goes far beyond a product. At its core, branding is about shaping perception—and that power applies just as much to ideas, policies, and movements as it does to soda or sneakers.

The weirdest team in sports might just be the smartest brand in the game.

A look at how Duolingo's AI pivot sparked user backlash and exposed the risk of misaligned brand values.

Hailey Bieber’s Rhode didn’t just collab with a beauty giant. It got acquired by one.

If you're running a business making between $3 million and $15 million a year and you've hit a wall, here's the brutal truth: you're not telling the right story. If you don't fix this now, you'll stay stuck while others fly by.

Without radio play, nobody buys your record. This blog dives the virtues of brand awareness, through the lens of a record company.

In advertising, the line between inspiration and theft is blurred.

85% of consumers say color is a major factor in their buying decisions. So here's how you can use color harmonies to give your brand just the right look and feel. You’ll also learn the 60/30/10 rule for perfectly balanced palettes and discover a free tool that generates endless color combos in seconds.

Who represents your brand becomes your brand. People don’t judge your brand based on your latest campaign. They judge it based on how it shows up in their everyday experience and these daily interactions can make or break your brand.

Your real fans deserve the front row.

Wait...isn't everyone shopping online?

Why "waiting it out" might be the riskiest move of all.

Supergoop is currently running a paid TikTok ad... for another brand.

In this episode, I interview the new brand director for Dollar Shave Club, Michael Stutts, and ask him how Dollar Shave Club disrupted the razor industry.

From Sonic to Kohl's to IHG Hotels, there's a growing trend of messaging that turns nouns/companies into verbs. See why the industry should probably course correct in order to make messaging more impactful and clear.

Sometimes good design is invisible. Or at least just barely visible.

Not all Joes are average, and not all store brands are boring. Let’s talk about how Trader Joe’s turned theirs into a full-blown branding superpower.

A blog series that unearths the strategy behind ads in vintage magazines.

In the final part of my complete roadmap for building real brand differentiation, I break down the three foundational steps to authentic brand differentiation and guide you in creating a tagline that actually works.

Discover how beverage brands like Kin Euphorics and La Croix are ditching literal flavor names for emotion-driven, poetic branding—think “Sunshine” over “Lemon.” Explore why this trend is resonating across beauty, fragrance, and fashion too.

Tecovas makes cowboy boots for everyone except cowboys, and their strategy is paying off. See why their brand positioning is a great lesson in meeting your customers where they are.

Drama isn't all bad. Brands who stir the pot can win big with a little good natured conflict.

Introducing Line Break — a new blog series no one asked for, brought to you by BBHQ's very own copywriters. We're kicking things off with a roundup of cringeworthy writing choices that somehow still keep making it live.

In Part 2 of my complete roadmap for building real brand differentiation, I’m diving into the brain science of attention and why differentiation wins.

When done right, a tagline makes a distinct and memorable promise in just a few words. We take a look at some of the most iconic and unique taglines throughout advertising history, expanding on why they work so well.

Slate made waves with their insanely modular and accessible SUV, the likes of which we've never seen before. We unpack what makes this new auto brand so unique and how they're meeting an unmet need in the market.

What do tires and fine dining have in common? More than you’d think, thanks to one of the most brilliant brand activations in history.

Katy Perry’s space flight sparked backlash — and her brand is still feeling it. Here's what we can learn from the misfire.

Lego touts the fact they've been "Destroying parents' feet since 1932" in a candid, self-deprecating ad that caught our attention IRL.

The most dangerous thing that can happen to your brand is falling into the commodity trap. That’s why over the next three weeks, I’m going to walk you through a complete roadmap for building true brand differentiation.

What does it really mean when people say “sell the sizzle, not the steak”? It’s actually pretty simple. Just look at Steve Jobs' revolutionary iPod messaging. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at this messaging trick and learn how to sell the sizzle, not the steak.

Remember that painfully awkward bar scene in Hitch where Chip tries way too hard and fails colossally?

Having trouble getting customers? Here’s the truth most businesses don’t want to hear: Your product isn’t the problem. You are.

Businesses keep making the same 5 marketing mistakes—without even realizing the damage. But don’t worry—once you recognize these mistakes and learn how to avoid them, you’ll gain a huge competitive advantage and grow your market share.

How much easier would it be to grow your business if you knew exactly what to say to customers to get them excited about buying your product?

The key to getting this sauce to work is the process of emulsification—getting two things that don’t readily combine (like oil and eggs) to mix cohesively.

Did I fall for the media hype—that Fox had sold all its commercial time slots by November or that there was a wait list of a dozen brands eager to pay $7 million in air time for a 30-second spot if someone dropped out?

Today, the Volkswagen ID Buzz is the successor to VW’s classic bus

Nineteen years ago, the “yeti” name was repurposed by two brothers, Roy and Ryan Seiders, who grew up in Driftwood, Texas.

Marijuana is now either fully or partially legal in 44 states

If you’ve resolved to make 2025 better than your 2024, you’re not alone.

The Cat’s Voom is an apt metaphor for the holding companies that have been sucking up ad agencies for years.

I know the holidays are waning, and you’ve probably stowed your own finery in the back of the closet for another year. But I can’t help taking one parting shot at the Christmas advertising season that was, and two big retailers that got a little overdressed this year.